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Joshua 22-24
New Living Translation

The Eastern Tribes Return Home

22 Then Joshua called together the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 2 He told them, “You have done as Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you, and you have obeyed every order I have given you. 3 During all this time you have not deserted the other tribes. You have been careful to obey the commands of the Lord your God right up to the present day. 4 And now the Lord your God has given the other tribes rest, as he promised them. So go back home to the land that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you as your possession on the east side of the Jordan River. 5 But be very careful to obey all the commands and the instructions that Moses gave to you. Love the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.” 6 So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went home.

7 Moses had given the land of Bashan, east of the Jordan River, to the half-tribe of Manasseh. (The other half of the tribe was given land west of the Jordan.) As Joshua sent them away and blessed them, 8 he said to them, “Go back to your homes with the great wealth you have taken from your enemies—the vast herds of livestock, the silver, gold, bronze, and iron, and the large supply of clothing. Share the plunder with your relatives.”

9 So the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the rest of Israel at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. They started the journey back to their own land of Gilead, the territory that belonged to them according to the Lord’s command through Moses.

The Eastern Tribes Build an Altar

10 But while they were still in Canaan, and when they came to a place called Geliloth[a] near the Jordan River, the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh stopped to build a large and imposing altar.

11 The rest of Israel heard that the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had built an altar at Geliloth at the edge of the land of Canaan, on the west side of the Jordan River. 12 So the whole community of Israel gathered at Shiloh and prepared to go to war against them. 13 First, however, they sent a delegation led by Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, to talk with the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 14 In this delegation were ten leaders of Israel, one from each of the ten tribes, and each the head of his family within the clans of Israel.

15 When they arrived in the land of Gilead, they said to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 16 “The whole community of the Lord demands to know why you are betraying the God of Israel. How could you turn away from the Lord and build an altar for yourselves in rebellion against him? 17 Was our sin at Peor not enough? To this day we are not fully cleansed of it, even after the plague that struck the entire community of the Lord. 18 And yet today you are turning away from following the Lord. If you rebel against the Lord today, he will be angry with all of us tomorrow.

19 “If you need the altar because the land you possess is defiled, then join us in the Lord’s land, where the Tabernacle of the Lord is situated, and share our land with us. But do not rebel against the Lord or against us by building an altar other than the one true altar of the Lord our God. 20 Didn’t divine anger fall on the entire community of Israel when Achan, a member of the clan of Zerah, sinned by stealing the things set apart for the Lord[b]? He was not the only one who died because of his sin.”

21 Then the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered the heads of the clans of Israel: 22 “The Lord, the Mighty One, is God! The Lord, the Mighty One, is God! He knows the truth, and may Israel know it, too! We have not built the altar in treacherous rebellion against the Lord. If we have done so, do not spare our lives this day. 23 If we have built an altar for ourselves to turn away from the Lord or to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings, may the Lord himself punish us.

24 “The truth is, we have built this altar because we fear that in the future your descendants will say to ours, ‘What right do you have to worship the Lord, the God of Israel? 25 The Lord has placed the Jordan River as a barrier between our people and you people of Reuben and Gad. You have no claim to the Lord.’ So your descendants may prevent our descendants from worshiping the Lord.

26 “So we decided to build the altar, not for burnt offerings or sacrifices, 27 but as a memorial. It will remind our descendants and your descendants that we, too, have the right to worship the Lord at his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices, and peace offerings. Then your descendants will not be able to say to ours, ‘You have no claim to the Lord.’

28 “If they say this, our descendants can reply, ‘Look at this copy of the Lord’s altar that our ancestors made. It is not for burnt offerings or sacrifices; it is a reminder of the relationship both of us have with the Lord.’ 29 Far be it from us to rebel against the Lord or turn away from him by building our own altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings, or sacrifices. Only the altar of the Lord our God that stands in front of the Tabernacle may be used for that purpose.”

30 When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community—the heads of the clans of Israel—heard this from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, they were satisfied. 31 Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, replied to them, “Today we know the Lord is among us because you have not committed this treachery against the Lord as we thought. Instead, you have rescued Israel from being destroyed by the hand of the Lord.”

32 Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the other leaders left the tribes of Reuben and Gad in Gilead and returned to the land of Canaan to tell the Israelites what had happened. 33 And all the Israelites were satisfied and praised God and spoke no more of war against Reuben and Gad.

34 The people of Reuben and Gad named the altar “Witness,”[c] for they said, “It is a witness between us and them that the Lord is our God, too.”

Joshua’s Final Words to Israel

23 The years passed, and the Lord had given the people of Israel rest from all their enemies. Joshua, who was now very old, 2 called together all the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel. He said to them, “I am now a very old man. 3 You have seen everything the Lord your God has done for you during my lifetime. The Lord your God has fought for you against your enemies. 4 I have allotted to you as your homeland all the land of the nations yet unconquered, as well as the land of those we have already conquered—from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea[d] in the west. 5 This land will be yours, for the Lord your God will himself drive out all the people living there now. You will take possession of their land, just as the Lord your God promised you.

6 “So be very careful to follow everything Moses wrote in the Book of Instruction. Do not deviate from it, turning either to the right or to the left. 7 Make sure you do not associate with the other people still remaining in the land. Do not even mention the names of their gods, much less swear by them or serve them or worship them. 8 Rather, cling tightly to the Lord your God as you have done until now.

9 “For the Lord has driven out great and powerful nations for you, and no one has yet been able to defeat you. 10 Each one of you will put to flight a thousand of the enemy, for the Lord your God fights for you, just as he has promised. 11 So be very careful to love the Lord your God.

12 “But if you turn away from him and cling to the customs of the survivors of these nations remaining among you, and if you intermarry with them, 13 then know for certain that the Lord your God will no longer drive them out of your land. Instead, they will be a snare and a trap to you, a whip for your backs and thorny brambles in your eyes, and you will vanish from this good land the Lord your God has given you.

14 “Soon I will die, going the way of everything on earth. Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the Lord your God has come true. Not a single one has failed! 15 But as surely as the Lord your God has given you the good things he promised, he will also bring disaster on you if you disobey him. He will completely destroy you from this good land he has given you. 16 If you break the covenant of the Lord your God by worshiping and serving other gods, his anger will burn against you, and you will quickly vanish from the good land he has given you.”

The Lord’s Covenant Renewed

24 Then Joshua summoned all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, including their elders, leaders, judges, and officers. So they came and presented themselves to God.

2 Joshua said to the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Long ago your ancestors, including Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River,[e] and they worshiped other gods. 3 But I took your ancestor Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him into the land of Canaan. I gave him many descendants through his son Isaac. 4 To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the mountains of Seir, while Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.

5 “Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I brought terrible plagues on Egypt; and afterward I brought you out as a free people. 6 But when your ancestors arrived at the Red Sea,[f] the Egyptians chased after you with chariots and charioteers. 7 When your ancestors cried out to the Lord, I put darkness between you and the Egyptians. I brought the sea crashing down on the Egyptians, drowning them. With your very own eyes you saw what I did. Then you lived in the wilderness for many years.

8 “Finally, I brought you into the land of the Amorites on the east side of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I destroyed them before you. I gave you victory over them, and you took possession of their land. 9 Then Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, started a war against Israel. He summoned Balaam son of Beor to curse you, 10 but I would not listen to him. Instead, I made Balaam bless you, and so I rescued you from Balak.

11 “When you crossed the Jordan River and came to Jericho, the men of Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But I gave you victory over them. 12 And I sent terror[g] ahead of you to drive out the two kings of the Amorites. It was not your swords or bows that brought you victory. 13 I gave you land you had not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build—the towns where you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them.

14 “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. 15 But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

16 The people replied, “We would never abandon the Lord and serve other gods. 17 For the Lord our God is the one who rescued us and our ancestors from slavery in the land of Egypt. He performed mighty miracles before our very eyes. As we traveled through the wilderness among our enemies, he preserved us. 18 It was the Lord who drove out the Amorites and the other nations living here in the land. So we, too, will serve the Lord, for he alone is our God.”

19 Then Joshua warned the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord, for he is a holy and jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you abandon the Lord and serve other gods, he will turn against you and destroy you, even though he has been so good to you.”

21 But the people answered Joshua, “No, we will serve the Lord!”

22 “You are a witness to your own decision,” Joshua said. “You have chosen to serve the Lord.”

“Yes,” they replied, “we are witnesses to what we have said.”

23 “All right then,” Joshua said, “destroy the idols among you, and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

24 The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God. We will obey him alone.”

25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day at Shechem, committing them to follow the decrees and regulations of the Lord. 26 Joshua recorded these things in the Book of God’s Instructions. As a reminder of their agreement, he took a huge stone and rolled it beneath the terebinth tree beside the Tabernacle of the Lord.

27 Joshua said to all the people, “This stone has heard everything the Lord said to us. It will be a witness to testify against you if you go back on your word to God.”

28 Then Joshua sent all the people away to their own homelands.

Leaders Buried in the Promised Land

29 After this, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110. 30 They buried him in the land he had been allocated, at Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

31 The people of Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him—those who had personally experienced all that the Lord had done for Israel.

32 The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought along with them when they left Egypt, were buried at Shechem, in the plot of land Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor for 100 pieces of silver.[h] This land was located in the territory allotted to the descendants of Joseph.

33 Eleazar son of Aaron also died. He was buried in the hill country of Ephraim, in the town of Gibeah, which had been given to his son Phinehas.

Footnotes

  1. 22:10 Or to the circle of stones; similarly in 22:11.
  2. 22:20 The Hebrew term used here refers to the complete consecration of things or people to the Lord, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering.
  3. 22:34 Some manuscripts lack this word.
  4. 23:4 Hebrew the Great Sea.
  5. 24:2 Hebrew the river; also in 24:3, 14, 15.
  6. 24:6 Hebrew sea of reeds.
  7. 24:12 Often rendered the hornet. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  8. 24:32 Hebrew 100 kesitahs; the value or weight of the kesitah is no longer known.
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Joshua 22-24
New International Version

Eastern Tribes Return Home

22 Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh 2 and said to them, “You have done all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded,(A) and you have obeyed me in everything I commanded. 3 For a long time now—to this very day—you have not deserted your fellow Israelites but have carried out the mission the Lord your God gave you. 4 Now that the Lord your God has given them rest(B) as he promised, return to your homes(C) in the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan.(D) 5 But be very careful to keep the commandment(E) and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord(F) your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands,(G) to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.(H)”

6 Then Joshua blessed(I) them and sent them away, and they went to their homes. 7 (To the half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given land in Bashan,(J) and to the other half of the tribe Joshua gave land on the west side(K) of the Jordan along with their fellow Israelites.) When Joshua sent them home, he blessed them,(L) 8 saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth—with large herds of livestock,(M) with silver, gold, bronze and iron,(N) and a great quantity of clothing—and divide(O) the plunder(P) from your enemies with your fellow Israelites.”

9 So the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh(Q) in Canaan to return to Gilead,(R) their own land, which they had acquired in accordance with the command of the Lord through Moses.

10 When they came to Geliloth(S) near the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an imposing altar(T) there by the Jordan. 11 And when the Israelites heard that they had built the altar on the border of Canaan at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side, 12 the whole assembly of Israel gathered at Shiloh(U) to go to war against them.

13 So the Israelites sent Phinehas(V) son of Eleazar,(W) the priest, to the land of Gilead—to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh. 14 With him they sent ten of the chief men, one from each of the tribes of Israel, each the head of a family division among the Israelite clans.(X)

15 When they went to Gilead—to Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh—they said to them: 16 “The whole assembly of the Lord says: ‘How could you break faith(Y) with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the Lord and build yourselves an altar in rebellion(Z) against him now? 17 Was not the sin of Peor(AA) enough for us? Up to this very day we have not cleansed ourselves from that sin, even though a plague fell on the community of the Lord! 18 And are you now turning away from the Lord?

“‘If you rebel against the Lord today, tomorrow he will be angry with the whole community(AB) of Israel. 19 If the land you possess is defiled, come over to the Lord’s land, where the Lord’s tabernacle(AC) stands, and share the land with us. But do not rebel against the Lord or against us by building an altar(AD) for yourselves, other than the altar of the Lord our God. 20 When Achan son of Zerah was unfaithful in regard to the devoted things,[a](AE) did not wrath(AF) come on the whole community(AG) of Israel? He was not the only one who died for his sin.’”(AH)

21 Then Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh replied to the heads of the clans of Israel: 22 “The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God,(AI) the Lord!(AJ) He knows!(AK) And let Israel know! If this has been in rebellion or disobedience to the Lord, do not spare us this day. 23 If we have built our own altar to turn away from the Lord and to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings,(AL) or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it, may the Lord himself call us to account.(AM)

24 “No! We did it for fear that some day your descendants might say to ours, ‘What do you have to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? 25 The Lord has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you—you Reubenites and Gadites! You have no share in the Lord.’ So your descendants might cause ours to stop fearing the Lord.

26 “That is why we said, ‘Let us get ready and build an altar—but not for burnt offerings or sacrifices.’ 27 On the contrary, it is to be a witness(AN) between us and you and the generations that follow, that we will worship the Lord at his sanctuary with our burnt offerings, sacrifices and fellowship offerings.(AO) Then in the future your descendants will not be able to say to ours, ‘You have no share in the Lord.’

28 “And we said, ‘If they ever say this to us, or to our descendants, we will answer: Look at the replica of the Lord’s altar, which our ancestors built, not for burnt offerings and sacrifices, but as a witness(AP) between us and you.’

29 “Far be it from us to rebel(AQ) against the Lord and turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle.(AR)”

30 When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community—the heads of the clans of the Israelites—heard what Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had to say, they were pleased. 31 And Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, said to Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, “Today we know that the Lord is with us,(AS) because you have not been unfaithful to the Lord in this matter. Now you have rescued the Israelites from the Lord’s hand.”

32 Then Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, and the leaders returned to Canaan from their meeting with the Reubenites and Gadites in Gilead and reported to the Israelites.(AT) 33 They were glad to hear the report and praised God.(AU) And they talked no more about going to war against them to devastate the country where the Reubenites and the Gadites lived.

34 And the Reubenites and the Gadites gave the altar this name: A Witness(AV) Between Us—that the Lord is God.

Joshua’s Farewell to the Leaders

23 After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest(AW) from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then a very old man,(AX) 2 summoned all Israel—their elders,(AY) leaders, judges and officials(AZ)—and said to them: “I am very old.(BA) 3 You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you.(BB) 4 Remember how I have allotted(BC) as an inheritance(BD) for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain—the nations I conquered—between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea(BE) in the west. 5 The Lord your God himself will push them out(BF) for your sake. He will drive them out(BG) before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you.(BH)

6 “Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law(BI) of Moses, without turning aside(BJ) to the right or to the left.(BK) 7 Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear(BL) by them. You must not serve them or bow down(BM) to them. 8 But you are to hold fast to the Lord(BN) your God, as you have until now.

9 “The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations;(BO) to this day no one has been able to withstand you.(BP) 10 One of you routs a thousand,(BQ) because the Lord your God fights for you,(BR) just as he promised. 11 So be very careful(BS) to love the Lord(BT) your God.

12 “But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them(BU) and associate with them,(BV) 13 then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out(BW) these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares(BX) and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes,(BY) until you perish from this good land,(BZ) which the Lord your God has given you.

14 “Now I am about to go the way of all the earth.(CA) You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise(CB) has been fulfilled; not one has failed.(CC) 15 But just as all the good things(CD) the Lord your God has promised you have come to you, so he will bring on you all the evil things(CE) he has threatened, until the Lord your God has destroyed you(CF) from this good land he has given you.(CG) 16 If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you.(CH)”

The Covenant Renewed at Shechem

24 Then Joshua assembled(CI) all the tribes of Israel at Shechem.(CJ) He summoned(CK) the elders,(CL) leaders, judges and officials of Israel,(CM) and they presented themselves before God.

2 Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor,(CN) lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods.(CO) 3 But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan(CP) and gave him many descendants.(CQ) I gave him Isaac,(CR) 4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau.(CS) I assigned the hill country of Seir(CT) to Esau, but Jacob and his family went down to Egypt.(CU)

5 “‘Then I sent Moses and Aaron,(CV) and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out.(CW) 6 When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea,(CX) and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen[b](CY) as far as the Red Sea.[c](CZ) 7 But they cried(DA) to the Lord for help, and he put darkness(DB) between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them.(DC) You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians.(DD) Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.(DE)

8 “‘I brought you to the land of the Amorites(DF) who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land.(DG) 9 When Balak son of Zippor,(DH) the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor(DI) to put a curse on you.(DJ) 10 But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you(DK) again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand.

11 “‘Then you crossed the Jordan(DL) and came to Jericho.(DM) The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites,(DN) Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites,(DO) but I gave them into your hands.(DP) 12 I sent the hornet(DQ) ahead of you, which drove them out(DR) before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow.(DS) 13 So I gave you a land(DT) on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’(DU)

14 “Now fear the Lord(DV) and serve him with all faithfulness.(DW) Throw away the gods(DX) your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt,(DY) and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites,(DZ) in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household,(EA) we will serve the Lord.”(EB)

16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake(EC) the Lord to serve other gods! 17 It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery,(ED) and performed those great signs(EE) before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18 And the Lord drove out(EF) before us all the nations,(EG) including the Amorites, who lived in the land.(EH) We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.(EI)”

19 Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God;(EJ) he is a jealous God.(EK) He will not forgive(EL) your rebellion(EM) and your sins. 20 If you forsake the Lord(EN) and serve foreign gods, he will turn(EO) and bring disaster(EP) on you and make an end of you,(EQ) after he has been good to you.”

21 But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”

22 Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses(ER) against yourselves that you have chosen(ES) to serve the Lord.”

“Yes, we are witnesses,(ET)” they replied.

23 “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods(EU) that are among you and yield your hearts(EV) to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”(EW)

25 On that day Joshua made a covenant(EX) for the people, and there at Shechem(EY) he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws.(EZ) 26 And Joshua recorded(FA) these things in the Book of the Law of God.(FB) Then he took a large stone(FC) and set it up there under the oak(FD) near the holy place of the Lord.

27 “See!” he said to all the people. “This stone(FE) will be a witness(FF) against us. It has heard all the words the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue(FG) to your God.”(FH)

28 Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance.(FI)

Buried in the Promised Land(FJ)

29 After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died(FK) at the age of a hundred and ten.(FL) 30 And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah[d](FM) in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.(FN)

31 Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders(FO) who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.

32 And Joseph’s bones,(FP) which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt,(FQ) were buried at Shechem in the tract of land(FR) that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver[e] from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph’s descendants.

33 And Eleazar son of Aaron(FS) died and was buried at Gibeah,(FT) which had been allotted to his son Phinehas(FU) in the hill country(FV) of Ephraim.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 22:20 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
  2. Joshua 24:6 Or charioteers
  3. Joshua 24:6 Or the Sea of Reeds
  4. Joshua 24:30 Also known as Timnath Heres (see Judges 2:9)
  5. Joshua 24:32 Hebrew hundred kesitahs; a kesitah was a unit of money of unknown weight and value.
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Joshua 22-24
New American Standard Bible

Tribes beyond Jordan Return

22 (A)Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, 2 and said to them, “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, (B)and have listened to my voice in all that I commanded you. 3 You have not abandoned your brothers these many days to this day, but have fulfilled the obligation of the commandment of the Lord your God. 4 And now (C)the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as He spoke to them; therefore turn now and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan. 5 Only be very careful to [a]follow the commandment and the Law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to (D)love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways, and keep His commandments and cling to Him, and serve Him (E)with all your heart and with all your soul.” 6 So Joshua (F)blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.

7 Now (G)to the one half-tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but (H)to the other half Joshua gave a possession among their brothers westward beyond the Jordan. So when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he also blessed them, 8 and said to [b]them, “Return to your tents with great riches and with very many livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and with very many clothes; (I)divide the spoils of your enemies with your brothers.” 9 So the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home, [c]leaving the sons of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the (J)land of Gilead, to the land of their possession in which they had settled, in accordance with the [d]command of the Lord [e]through Moses.

The Offensive Altar

10 When they came to the region of the Jordan which is in the land of Canaan, the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan, [f]a large altar in appearance. 11 But the sons of Israel [g]heard a report: “Behold, the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have (K)built an altar at the [h]frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan, on the side belonging to the sons of Israel.” 12 And when the sons of Israel heard about it, the entire congregation of the sons of Israel assembled at (L)Shiloh to go up against them in battle.

13 Then the sons of Israel sent to the sons of Reuben, to the sons of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, (M)Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, 14 and with him ten leaders, one leader for each father’s household from each of the tribes of Israel; and (N)each one of them was the head of his father’s household among the [i]thousands of Israel. 15 They came to the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying, 16 “This is what the whole congregation of the Lord says: ‘What is this unfaithful act which you have committed against the God of Israel, turning away from following the Lord this day, by (O)building yourselves an altar, to rebel against the Lord this day? 17 Is (P)the wrongdoing of Peor [j]not enough for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day, although [k]a plague came on the congregation of the Lord, 18 that you must turn away this day from following the Lord? If you rebel against the Lord today, (Q)He will be angry with the entire congregation of Israel tomorrow. 19 If, however, the land of your possession is unclean, then [l]cross into the land of the possession of the Lord, where the Lord’s [m]tabernacle [n]stands, and settle among us. Only do not rebel against the Lord, or rebel against us, by (R)building an altar for yourselves besides the altar of the Lord our God. 20 Did (S)Achan the son of Zerah not act unfaithfully in the things designated for destruction, and wrath fall on the entire congregation of Israel? So that man did not perish alone in his guilt.’”

21 Then the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh answered and spoke to the heads of the [o]families of Israel. 22 “The (T)Mighty One, God, the Lord, the Mighty One, God, the Lord! (U)He knows, and may Israel itself know. If it was in rebellion, or if in an unfaithful act against the Lord, do not save us this day! 23 If we have built us an altar to turn away from following the Lord, or if to (V)offer a burnt offering or grain offering on it, or if to offer sacrifices of peace offerings on it, may the Lord Himself [p]demand it. 24 But truly we have done this out of concern, [q]for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come your sons may say to our [r]sons, “What have you to do with the Lord, the God of Israel? 25 For the Lord has made the Jordan a border between us and you, you sons of Reuben and sons of Gad; you have no portion in the Lord.” So your sons may make our sons stop fearing the Lord.’

26 “Therefore we said, ‘Let’s [s]build an altar, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice; 27 rather, it shall be (W)a witness between us and you and between our generations after us, that we are to (X)perform the service of the Lord before Him with our burnt offerings, our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings, so that your sons will not say to our sons in time to come, “You have no portion in the Lord.”’ 28 Therefore we said, ‘It shall also come about if they say this to us or to our generations in time to come, then we shall say, “See the copy of the altar of the Lord which our fathers made, not for burnt offering or for sacrifice; rather, it is a witness between us and you.”’ 29 Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord and turn away from following the Lord this day, by (Y)building an altar for burnt offering, for grain offering, or for sacrifice, besides the altar of the Lord our God which is before His [t]tabernacle.”

30 So when Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the congregation, that is, the heads of the [u]families of Israel who were with him, heard the words which the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and the sons of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them. 31 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the sons of Reuben, the sons of Gad, and to the sons of Manasseh, “Today we know that the (Z)Lord is in our midst, because you have not committed this unfaithful act against the Lord; now you have saved the sons of Israel from the hand of the Lord.”

32 Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest and the leaders returned from the sons of Reuben and from the sons of Gad, from the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the sons of Israel, and brought back word to them. 33 The word pleased the sons of Israel, and the sons of Israel (AA)blessed God; and they did not speak of going up against them in battle to destroy the land in which the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad were living. 34 And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad (AB)called the altar Witness; “For,” they said, “it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.”

Joshua’s Farewell Address

23 Now it came about after many days, when the Lord had given (AC)rest to Israel from all their enemies on every side, and Joshua was old, advanced in years, 2 that (AD)Joshua called for all Israel, for their elders, their heads, their judges, and their officers, and said to them, “I am old, advanced in years. 3 And you have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations because of you, for (AE)the Lord your God is He who has been fighting for you. 4 See, (AF)I have apportioned to you these nations which remain as an inheritance for your tribes, with all the nations which I have eliminated, from the Jordan even to the Great Sea toward the [v]west. 5 And the Lord your God, He will thrust them away from you and [w](AG)drive them from you; and (AH)you will take possession of their land, just as the Lord your God [x]promised you. 6 (AI)Be very determined, then, to keep and do everything that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, so that you will not turn aside from it to the right or to the left, 7 so that you will not [y]associate with these nations, these which remain with you, or (AJ)mention the name of their gods, or (AK)make anyone swear by them, or (AL)serve them, or bow down to them. 8 But you are to cling to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day. 9 (AM)For the Lord has [z]driven out great and mighty nations from before you; and as for you, (AN)no one has stood against you to this day. 10 (AO)One of your men puts to flight a thousand, for the Lord your God is (AP)He who fights for you, just as He [aa]promised you. 11 So take great care for yourselves that you love the Lord your God. 12 For if you ever go back and (AQ)cling to the rest of these nations, these which remain with you, and (AR)intermarry with them, so that you [ab]associate with them and they with you, 13 know with certainty that the Lord your God will not continue to [ac]drive these nations out from before you; but they will be a (AS)snare and a trap to you, and a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the Lord your God has given you.

14 “Now behold, today (AT)I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that (AU)not one word of all the good words which the Lord your God spoke concerning you has failed; they all have [ad]been fulfilled for you, not [ae]one of them has failed. 15 But it will come about that just as all the good words which the Lord your God spoke to you have come upon you, so (AV)the Lord will bring upon you [af]all the warnings, until He has eliminated you from this good land which the Lord your God has given you. 16 (AW)When you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, and you go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and you will perish quickly from the good land which He has given you.”

Joshua Reviews Israel’s History

24 Then (AX)Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, their heads, their judges, and their officers; and they presented themselves before God. 2 Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates River, namely, (AY)Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods. 3 Then (AZ)I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and (BA)multiplied his [ag]descendants and gave him (BB)Isaac. 4 To Isaac I gave (BC)Jacob and Esau, and (BD)to Esau I gave Mount Seir, to possess it; but (BE)Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. 5 Then (BF)I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt [ah]by what I did in its midst; and afterward I brought you out. 6 So I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and (BG)you came to the sea; and Egypt pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the [ai]Red Sea. 7 But when they cried out to the Lord, He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them and covered them; and your own eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And (BH)you lived in the wilderness for a long time. 8 Then (BI)I brought you into the land of the Amorites, who lived beyond the Jordan, and they fought with you; but I handed them over to you, and you took possession of their land when I eliminated them before you. 9 Then (BJ)Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, rose up and fought against Israel, and he sent messengers and summoned Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. 10 But I (BK)was not willing to listen to Balaam. So he had to bless you, and I saved you from his hand. 11 (BL)You crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho; and the citizens of Jericho fought against you, and (BM)the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Therefore (BN)I handed them over to you. 12 Then I (BO)sent the hornet before you and it [aj]drove out the two kings of the Amorites from you—(BP)not by your sword nor your bow. 13 And (BQ)I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you have lived in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’

“We Will Serve the Lord”

14 “Now, therefore, [ak](BR)fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and [al]truth; and do away with the gods which your fathers served beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served, which were beyond the Euphrates River, or (BS)the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

16 The people answered and said, “Far be it from us that we would abandon the Lord to serve other gods; 17 for the Lord our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves, and did these great signs in our sight and watched over us through all the way in which we went and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed. 18 The Lord drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land. We also will serve the Lord, for He is our God.”

19 Then Joshua said to the people, “You will not be able to serve the Lord, (BT)for He is a holy God. He is (BU)a jealous God; (BV)He will not forgive your wrongdoing or your sins. 20 (BW)If you abandon the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and destroy you after He has done good to you.” 21 And the people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the Lord.” 22 So Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that (BX)you have chosen for yourselves the Lord, to serve Him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” 23 “Now then, do away with the foreign gods which are in your midst, and (BY)incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” 24 And (BZ)the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and [am]obey His voice.” 25 (CA)So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. 26 And Joshua (CB)wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God; and he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. 27 Then Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, (CC)this stone shall be a witness against us, because it has heard all the words of the Lord which He spoke [an]to us; so it shall be a witness against you, so that you do not deny your God.” 28 Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to his inheritance.

Joshua’s Death and Burial

29 Now it came about after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being 110 years old. 30 And they buried him in the territory of his inheritance, in (CD)Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of Mount Gaash.

31 (CE)Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who [ao]survived Joshua, and had known every deed of the Lord which He had done for Israel.

32 Now (CF)they buried the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt, at Shechem, in the plot of land (CG)which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred [ap]pieces of money; and they became the inheritance of Joseph’s sons. 33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him at Gibeah, the town of his son (CH)Phinehas, which was given to him in the hill country of Ephraim.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 22:5 Lit perform
  2. Joshua 22:8 Lit them, saying,
  3. Joshua 22:9 Lit and went from
  4. Joshua 22:9 Lit mouth
  5. Joshua 22:9 Lit by the hand of
  6. Joshua 22:10 Or an altar clearly visible
  7. Joshua 22:11 Lit heard, saying, Behold
  8. Joshua 22:11 Lit front
  9. Joshua 22:14 Or families
  10. Joshua 22:17 Lit a trifle for us
  11. Joshua 22:17 Lit an affliction
  12. Joshua 22:19 Lit cross for yourselves
  13. Joshua 22:19 Lit dwelling place
  14. Joshua 22:19 Lit resides
  15. Joshua 22:21 Lit thousands
  16. Joshua 22:23 I.e., hold him responsible
  17. Joshua 22:24 Lit from
  18. Joshua 22:24 Lit sons, saying
  19. Joshua 22:26 Lit prepare to build for ourselves
  20. Joshua 22:29 Lit dwelling place
  21. Joshua 22:30 Lit thousands
  22. Joshua 23:4 Lit sunset
  23. Joshua 23:5 Or dispossess
  24. Joshua 23:5 Lit spoke to
  25. Joshua 23:7 Lit come among
  26. Joshua 23:9 Or dispossessed
  27. Joshua 23:10 Lit spoke to
  28. Joshua 23:12 Lit come among
  29. Joshua 23:13 Or dispossess
  30. Joshua 23:14 Lit come
  31. Joshua 23:14 Lit one word
  32. Joshua 23:15 Lit every bad word
  33. Joshua 24:3 Lit seed
  34. Joshua 24:5 Lit according to
  35. Joshua 24:6 Lit Sea of Reeds
  36. Joshua 24:12 Lit drove them out
  37. Joshua 24:14 Or revere
  38. Joshua 24:14 Or faithfulness
  39. Joshua 24:24 Lit listen to
  40. Joshua 24:27 Lit with
  41. Joshua 24:31 Lit prolonged days after
  42. Joshua 24:32 Heb qesitah
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